1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a guidewire catheter for use with a guidewire for guiding a catheter. More specifically, the present invention relates to a guidewire catheter for use with an adapter for assisting the insertion or the rotation of a guidewire for guiding a catheter endoscopically inserted into a body cavity and used for regressively injecting liquid into a bile duct or a pancreatic duct.
2. Background Art
Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is a conventionally-known diagnostic method for finding an abnormality in a pancreas, a cholecyst, or a bile duct. The ERCP provides X-ray photography by inserting a catheter into the nipple of a duodenum and subsequently injecting a contrast agent directly into a pancreatic duct or a bile duct.
However, in some cases, the insertion of the catheter into the bile duct is difficult when the entrance of the nipple is narrow, or when the bile duct is bending. Pushing the catheter into the entrance of the nipple with an excessive force in this case may cause endema on the mucosa thereof, thereby resulting in a further narrowing the entrance.
A contrast agent injected from the catheter upon being entered deeper relative to the mucosa and blocking a port of the pancreatic duce may prevents the drainage of pancreatic fluid, thereby increasing the possibility of developing pancreatitis therein. To address this, a conventional method for finding a bile duct uses a guidewire having a relatively bendable flexible distal end while being projected from the distal end of the catheter by 2 to 3 millimeters.
Some known apparatuses for guiding a catheter in such operations use a guidewire having a diameter smaller than a catheter. For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. H8-257134 discloses an operation assistant instrument for a medical-use guidewire which assists the insertion of a guidewire into a hollow organ.
The operation assistant instrument for the medical-use guidewire having a groove capable of approaching to or separating from each other in the axial direction is designed to allow a guidewire to be inserted into the groove and to fix the medical-use guidewire in the operation assistant instrument. The operation assistant instrument for use with the medical guidewire is capable of attaching the operation assistant instrument to the guidewire, changing the position of the operation assistant instrument, and easily detaching of the guidewire from the operation assistant instrument. In addition, the operation assistant instrument is capable of inserting the guidewire into the lumen of an object tissue by extending or retracting the guidewire, or by rotating the guidewire around the axial line.